CHAPTER 122: YOUR TRUTH

Stefan stood up to pace the entire room and seeing the tension in the way his shoulders seemed stiff, Ethan stood up.

"I think you need a cup of coffee to help you relax," he said, and Stefan sighed.

"I think you’re right," he said, following Ethan out of the room to the living room.

While he headed for the living room, Ethan went to the kitchen to quickly make two cups of coffee.

Once he was done, he returned to the living room and handed Stefan one cup while he sipped from the other one.

Stefan still feeling the tension within him paced the floor of Ethan’s living room, his free hand shoved deep into his pocket, and his brows furrowed in thought.

His chest felt tight with a mixture of anxiety and frustration, his mind replaying every word from the call with his mother as he sipped from his cup, hoping to relieve the tension.

He had only been away from Zeden for a short time, but it felt like his world was falling apart in his absence. Had he made a mistake? Perhaps, he should’ve first seen to Ivy signing the papers before coming after Ruby first.

He raked a hand through his hair and turned again.

Ethan leaned against the wall watching him silently for a moment before speaking up. "So... what did your mom say exactly?"

Stefan stopped walking. "She was at the hospital, Ethan. She overheard Ivy say those things to Eliana. ’Sweet dreams, darling’? Like it was some sort of threat. And she didn’t report it to security or the police. Instead... she went straight to the media. It was her who sold the story. She started it and according to her, it was real."

Ethan blinked, surprised at Elizabeth’s quick thinking. "She really did that?"

Perhaps he shouldn’t be feeling surprised seeing as she had also been the one to have Ruby replace Ivy. Thinking about it now, it seemed Stefan’s mother was a quick thinker even though the replacement scheme had been rather uncalled for.

Stefan took another sip and nodded slowly, a deep sigh escaping his chest. "She thought it would be more effective if the public got involved. That Ivy wouldn’t be able to weasel her way out of it if people were watching her every move. She said this way, I could finally have enough public backing to push the divorce through. But what if it backfires, Ethan? What if Ivy figures out my mom was behind the leak and goes after her? Things can really get messy with this one move of hers and I’m not there to look after her."

Ethan folded his arms. "Look, I get that it’s risky. But I actually think it’s kind of genius."

Stefan frowned, confused. "Genius? What do you even mean? Are you even listening to what I’m saying at all?"

Ethan nodded. "Yeah... I mean, think about it. Ivy thrives in silence—behind closed doors, pulling strings where no one sees. But if you drag her into the light, if the whole world sees who she really is, then you strip her of her power. She can’t twist things or lie her way out of it if everyone’s already judging her. I think that’s what your mom is trying to do."

Stefan looked unconvinced. "But how does that help with the divorce? It’s not like she’s scared of bad press. I’m pretty sure she’s cooking up something to cover up this whole scandal."

Ethan pushed off the counter and walked over, his tone calm but sure. "She might not be scared of it—but she is scared of losing control. And if you make a statement—publicly make a statement about the problems between the two of you, especially now that her name is all over the headlines, then it puts her in a tight corner. She’d either have to deny the relationship issues and risk sounding fake, or sign the divorce papers and save what’s left of her reputation."

Stefan stared at him, still unsure. "So, you’re saying I should go public? Tell the world that we’re having problems? That I want a divorce?"

fre(e)webnove.l.c.om

Ethan shrugged. "Exactly. It’s all about timing, Stefan. The media is already on her case. People are already talking. If you step in now with your side of the story, it’ll look like you’re the one being transparent. That you’re not covering anything up. People will respect that."

ffreewebnoveleewebnovel

Stefan let out a breath and dropped onto the couch, his shoulders slumped. "I don’t know, man. This just feels... messy. I hate that it’s come to this."

Ethan sat beside him. "It is messy. But you’re not the one who made it this way. She did. She walked away from your wedding. She toyed with your emotions and even had to drag her sister through her evil. And now she might’ve even hurt someone. You’ve got to think about your future. About Ruby. About the baby."

The mention of Ruby made Stefan’s chest ache. He hadn’t spoken to her since she stormed out of Ethan’s place. He missed her terribly, even though he didn’t think he had the right to. But maybe, just maybe, if this worked, he could finally put Ivy behind him and chase the life he really wanted—with Ruby.

"Alright," he said finally. "Let’s say I do this. Who’s going to release the news? You? My mom?"

Ethan shook his head. "No. It has to come from you. People need to see your face, hear your voice. It’ll make it more real. Post it on your Instagram account. You’ve got more than enough followers. Once it’s up, the blogs will do the rest. Trust me."

Stefan’s jaw tightened as he thought about it. Going public with something so personal felt like opening a wound and letting the world see it. But maybe that’s what was needed now.

"Fine," he said after a beat. "But I want to make it clear that I don’t know if Ivy hurt Eliana. I don’t want to accuse anyone without proof since agreeing might actually put my mother’s life in danger."

Ethan nodded. "Good. Stay neutral on that part. Focus on your truth."

Stefan pulled out his phone and sat upright, dropping his now empty cup of coffee. His heart was pounding in his chest as he opened the camera and switched to video mode. He stared at the screen for a long moment before hitting record.